Structure of natural foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis and its relationship to regional morphology.

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is still a public health problem in Central Asia. To control the outbreaks, different control measures are required in different regions and comprehensive information is required about natural foci.The term landsaft, used by Soviet geographers to denote particular geographical regions, is defined and this concept is used in examining the natural focality of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in the south of the Turkmen SSR.The main reservoir species in this area was Rhombomys opimus, and the disease was transmitted mainly by Sergentomyia arpaklensis, Phlebotomus papatasi, and Phlebotomus caucasicus. The burrows of R. opimus were the main shelters and breeding places of the sandflies, but infection was not transmitted equally in all burrows.It was known that the distribution of sandflies within the burrows was influenced by the humidity in the different parts of the burrow and a survey showed that the highest rate of infection of gerbils occurred in the burrows in those areas with the highest subsoil moisture content.Studies of the prevalence of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis among people in the settlements of the Murghab oasis showed that the years with the highest infection rate were also years with slightly higher rainfall and lower air temperatures in this area.